December 2025 BOMA NY Transportation Report
Holiday Gridlock, Fare Hikes, and Cardi B on the Subway!
If November’s transportation story was about turkeys clogging the system, December is a full-blown holiday snow globe shaken way too hard. Our latest BOMA-NY Transportation Report is out. It delivers a mix of transit disruption, political maneuvering, fare increases, and a healthy dose of New York absurdity, wrapped in tinsel and commuter frustration
The headline moment? Cardi B lending her unmistakable voice to NYC subway announcements. Equal parts chaos and civic service, the stunt somehow captures the city’s holiday mood perfectly: loud, funny, impatient, and oddly comforting. If anyone can tell riders to stand clear of the closing doors and make it feel festive, it’s Cardi B!
Real operational challenges loom. The MTA confirmed fare and toll increases effective January 4, 2026, while simultaneously grappling with labor tensions on the LIRR, ongoing investigations, copper thefts, aging equipment failures, and new capital spending, from new subway wheels to a $257 million bus purchase. MetroCards are officially on their way out, OMNY is becoming the norm, and fare enforcement on buses is shifting toward a European-style inspection model.
Holiday travel adds its own layer of stress. Gridlock Alert Days are back, airports are still recovering from the fallout of a prolonged government shutdown, and flight delays continue to ripple across the Northeast. Even as air travel slowly stabilizes, travelers are navigating REAL ID confusion, TSA policy shifts, and the usual seasonal surge.
Meanwhile, the future of transit funding is being reshaped in unexpected ways. New casino licenses in Queens and the Bronx promise hundreds of millions in revenue for the MTA, though critics question whether placing tourist destinations far from Manhattan’s core will actually deliver on those expectations. Major projects like the IBX light rail, Gateway Tunnel, and Penn Station redevelopment remain high-stakes works in progress.
The report also tracks a changing political landscape, with a new mayoral administration signaling aggressive bus-lane expansion, renewed debate over free buses, and fresh leadership appointments across transportation agencies. Add in rising tolls, deteriorating highways, e-bike safety concerns, autonomous vehicle debates, and the occasional chicken delaying a subway train, and you’ve got peak New York.
Hope you enjoy reading about our transportation infrastructure and smile at the pop culture (a new version of a classic Holiday song) and weird news (drunk raccoons!) to remind us that no matter how advanced the system gets, New York transit will always have personality.
Read to the end to see how Harrison Ford is used as a reference point for controversies about how passengers should dress while flying.
As 2025 winds down, one thing is clear: whether you’re commuting by subway, bus, bike, ferry, or sleigh, patience remains the most valuable ticket in the city.
Happy Holidays! Click here to see the full report:December 2025 TransportationReport for BOMA-NY Codes & Regs
